Arknights: Fractured Memories

NV-ST-1: Couriers

Note: NV-ST chapters are chapters that show the past, and has no affect on the story other than giving you, the reader, more context.

Above the ruins of Hopeville, a man could be seen sitting vigil just at the entrance of The Divide.

This man's name was Ulysses, his old name forgotten to all but himself. He was once an indispensable frumentarius for the Legion but that time has long since passed. Now all that was left was himself, a man burdened no more by the factions of the Mojave.

He sat in silence until he heard footsteps from behind him. "Caesar is dead, died on the operating table." He heard the one behind him give a tired laugh.

"I was able to get away with it too," the man behind him, Six, paused before continuing. "What do you think is gonna happen to the Legion now?"

Ulysses took a moment to formulate an answer. "Name's died twice to history. If the West thanks you... the East won't, in time. Fall apart, back to the tribes, maybe."

"Fuck, that'd be troublesome."

"Some would say otherwise."

Six observed the sitting man before saying what was on his mind. "You ain't pissed off at me for killing him?" There was some surprise in his voice.

Ulysses shrugged, "He let another hold a knife to him. If he was weak enough to allow the knife so close to his neck, maybe it needed to be his ending."

"Caesar would be history's hypocrite if he was angry about what happened. I'm not one for it, either. Seems you just proved his philosophy to him. If he'd been stronger, he'd be alive, and we wouldn't be talking." Ulysses continued on.

Six then walked beside him so he could look upon The Divide along with Ulysses. They stayed in silence with the only noise coming from the never ending storm of The Divide.

Six was the first to break that silence, "They talked about someone, Legate Lanius, who's he?" Six spoke in a mixed vocabulary of Latin and English when talking about the Legion, although Ulysses could tell Six had no respect when it came to the leadership of the Legion, it was easy to hear in his voice that Six respected the individual legionaries for their loyalty, even if said loyalty came from being raised that way.

Six took that moment of silence from Ulysses as thinking. He wouldn't have been far off.

"Lanius... the "Butcher." Monster, Terror of the East." Ulysses spoke.

Six waited in anticipation.

"Not even his slaves have seen his face - struck them blind so they can't. Wears a mask, don't even know if it's the same man. He put Colorado to the sword, broke the Hangdogs by throwing their hounds upon the flames, so they might burn forever in the afterlife."

"Sounds like a dick," Six said after Ulysses stopped speaking.

Ulysses didn't speak but nodded nonetheless.

Six pulled out two bottles of fresh water and tossed one to Ulysses. "If Lanius and I were to brawl it out, who're you bettin would win?"

"Hard to say, Lanius carries all the terrors of the East with him. He's the myth, the weapon the Legion needs. When he arrives, he'll fall on Hoover Dam like a hammer, break the Bear in two. No reason for me to speak about you. You know your own better than mine."

Six groaned before taking a drink from the bottle, "Great... he's comin here since Caesar died isn't he?"

Ulysses shook his head, "No. He would have come here no matter what. To take Hoover Dam, Legion will need something as big as the Old World itself - another symbol, forged by history. He fits that role." 

Six sighed in annoyance, he didn't seem too worried as of now. Most would call it arrogance but Ulysses knew that he was too tired after getting away scot free with failing to save Caesar, and that was without accounting the treacherous journey of getting to The Divide itself. "Any idea on what his achilles heel would be?"

Ulysses turned to face him, "You talk as if you plan on fighting the Bull. Yet you still side with them."

"NCR isn't viable, too corrupt. Same with house. Legion is terrible too but I plan on taking over the Legion via coup d'etat so I can steer it the right way. Lanius gets in the way of that since apparently he has a higher rank than Caesar's right hand man."

Six waited for Ulysses to answer his previous question.

Ulysses looked away, back into the chasm of The Divide before answering. "His strength lies in his title - and it is his weakness. He will not fight a losing battle and destroy what he represents. Put the idea of loss in him. Convince him the Bear will not be the twentieth tribe beneath his heel, it will make him pause like nothing on earth."

"I meant in a way that gets him out of my way without killing the bastard, he sounds valuable to have as an ally so I'd rather not put his head on a pike." Six complained.

"Then that, is where your plan falls apart. You may make him retreat, but he bows to no one but Caesar."

"What about his right hand man?"

"The same one that failed to save him?" Ulysses answered back.

"Fuck, right, yeah. Forgot about that." Six finished drinking and threw the empty bottle off the cliff they were currently at.

"If you convince him to retreat, you may be able to put him under your heel. Make you take Caesar's place." Ulysses said, finishing his drink right after but not throwing it.

Six looked like he was considering it.

Ulysses continued talking, "You do not need to convince him alone. Draw upon history. The past of other Legates are not filled with victories. Remind Lanius of this."

Six took a moment but had a sudden moment of epiphany once he realized who the ex frumentarius was talking about.

"The Burned man. Joshua "Mother Fucking" Graham."

Ulysses nodded.

Six quickly backed up and started walking away. "Ulysses, it was nice talking to ya pal, but I got a Legate to catch." If he was lucky, Graham wouldn't have left for Dead Horse Point yet.

Ulysses looked back to The Divide.

"The Mojave awaits you, Courier."